Jade Melbourne set to use WNBA experience to boost Canberra Capitals' WNBL hopes

Then Seattle Storm coach Noelle Quinn told Melbourne she was done watching - she was going in.

Before long, the Seattle rookie who now calls Canberra home was guarding the Phoenix Mercury superstar she calls "the best player in the world" during a pre-season game.

Some introduction to life in the WNBA.

"For the first quarter, I didn't get on. I was like 'this is sick, courtside tickets'," Melbourne grinned.

"Then the coach was like 'alright, Jade', and I had to snap into it. There was one possession when I was guarding 'DT' [Taurasi], who is like the best player in the world, arguably to play the game, and it was just a crazy moment where I was like 'wow, this is really happening. I'm not just watching on TV anymore'.

"There was a few of them. I got switched onto Brianna Stewart and I was like 'what am I doing here?' Kelsey Plum, so many people I've grown up watching and I was playing against them.

"I still couldn't get my head around it until maybe like 10 games in, then you've got to get over it and realise you've actually got to scout them and figure out how to stop them."

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Melbourne has since returned to Canberra to begin pre-season training with the Capitals - but not before a four-day stint in Byron Bay to "get my mind away from basketball and the real world".

Now she has her sights set on Canberra's WNBL season opener against Adelaide at the National Convention Centre on November 5.

Melbourne has already emerged as one of the brightest young talents in Australian basketball. At 21, she has a Capitals most valuable player award to her name and an Opals jersey with her name on it.

The crazy part? Capitals assistant coach Paul Goriss tips Melbourne is "going to continue to go from strength to strength" this season.

It was Goriss, the two-time championship-winning coach who has returned to the fold between WNBA seasons, who brought Melbourne into the WNBL three years ago.

"We still forget how young Jade is, and her growth, there's a high ceiling to that," Goriss said.

"She's only just starting to scratch the surface of what she can do, both individually but in the WNBL. I think she'll have another great season. This season she didn't get to play much with Seattle in the WNBA but I think she is raring to go.

"She's a proud Capital that wants the team to do well, but she's a great teammate as well. Her growth will continue throughout the season."

Melbourne looms as a crucial part of the Capitals' future having signed a fresh two-year deal to take her through to the end of the 2024-25 WNBL season.

The Traralgon product is confident the Capitals can bounce back from a forgettable two-win season - levelling the lowest number of wins for a season in Canberra's history - to emerge as a playoff contender.

"Canberra feels like my real home, I'm going into my fourth season," Melbourne said.

"I think now I've had quite a large variety of different experiences, [I'll be] bringing that, continuing to use my voice to encourage and empower my teammates is something I love to do.

"If I see something I've taken away from America that I feel like I can help a teammate with, I will, continuing to be a leader for this group, help them, guide them in the right direction."

Canberra Capitals fans need to get those calendars out and cross off a few new dates with the FIBA international window leading the WNBL to a fixture overhaul.

Three Capitals games have changed dates, but venues remain the same.

A round 13 clash against the Adelaide Lightning will be played at Adelaide Arena on February 27 [instead of February 28].

A round 14 clash had been brought forward to December 8 in round six, with the Capitals to host the Sydney Flames at the National Convention Centre [previously scheduled for December 31].

Another round 14 match has been moved to round 13, with the Capitals hosting Townsville at the NCC on December 30 [instead of February 3].

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